From Temple Towns To Your Kitchen: Sacred Foods To Make At Home

Temple cuisine is like a time capsule of tradition, simplicity, and devotion—each dish tells a story. Here are some interesting and little-known facts about the sacred foods and how to make them at your home.

Kada Prasad – Punjab
- This wheat-based halwa isn’t just a sweet treat—it’s symbolic of equality. In Gurudwaras, it's served to everyone, regardless of background, often prepared by volunteers in massive community kitchens called langars.

To make it at home, take some ghee in a heavy pan and heat it on a low flame. Add an equal quantity of wheat flour and keep stirring. The flour will change colour and smell nutty after ten to twelve minutes. In another pan, mix sugar and water and bring it to a boil. Once the sugar melts, add it slowly to the roasted flour. Stir well so that lumps do not form. Cook it until it thickens and the ghee starts to separate. It tastes best when eaten warm.

Sakkarai Pongal – Tamil Nadu
- It's traditionally made during the Pongal harvest festival, which honors the Sun God. Pongal itself means “to boil over,” symbolizing abundance. The dish is cooked in open courtyards as part of a celebratory ritual.

First, roast moong dal in a dry pan for a few minutes until the colour changes slightly. Wash and cook the rice and dal together until they turn soft. Melt jaggery in a little water and strain it to remove any dirt. Add this jaggery syrup to the cooked rice and dal and stir gently. Let it cook for a few more minutes. Add ghee slowly and mix it in. You can also fry a few cashews and raisins in ghee and add them on top.

Bhuni Khichdi – Gujarat
- A minimalist comfort food, yet spiritually rich. In many temples, it’s prepared without any strong spices, garlic, or onion, in line with sattvic principles—dietary rules in Ayurveda that promote clarity and calm.

Wash equal parts of yellow moong dal and rice. Roast the dal for a few minutes until it smells cooked. Combine with rice and cook in plenty of water with a little salt and a pinch of turmeric. Keep the flame low so it does not stick to the bottom. Once everything is soft, you can stir in some ghee and eat it hot. It is not spicy. It does not have onion or garlic. It is meant to be very light and easy to digest.

Abhada Dalma – Odisha (Jagannath Temple)
- This dish goes back centuries! The Jagannath Temple has one of the largest temple kitchens in the world. Dalma is always made without onion or garlic, and its ingredients change with the seasons—a culinary reflection of nature’s rhythm.

Use arhar dal or moong dal and cook it until it is soft. Add vegetables like raw banana, pumpkin, and arbi. Cut them into medium pieces so they do not become mushy. Add turmeric and salt, and cook everything together. For the tempering, heat ghee in a small pan and add cumin seeds, grated ginger, and a dry red chilli. Pour this into the dal and vegetable mixture and stir gently. Some people also sprinkle a mix of roasted cumin powder and pepper powder just before serving.

Chana-Suji Halwa – Madhya Pradesh (Ujjain)
- The chana dal in this halwa adds protein, and its slow cooking style is almost meditative. At Mahakaleshwar temple, this prasad is linked to rituals aimed at spiritual purification and strength.

Soak some chana dal for three to four hours. Grind it into a coarse paste. Heat ghee in a pan and roast this paste slowly until the raw smell disappears and it becomes light brown. Roast the suji separately until it turns golden. Now mix both and add hot water slowly. Stir it well and then add jaggery. Let the mixture cook until it becomes thick. You can add a few cashews if you want, but the original version is very plain and does not use cardamom or saffron.

These dishes don’t just fill your stomach—they nourish a connection between food, faith, and family.